Island



B. KING.

Cartridge.

Patented Mar, 4, 1862.

Back

Side.

Witness s.

N.FETERS, FHOTO-LITNOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON 0. C.

; NrrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENEDIKT KING, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT. IN CARTRIDGES ADAPTBD 'I'O Brannon-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,579, dated March 4, 1862.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENEDIKT KING, of Providence, in the county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented new Improvements in the Adaptation of Cartridges to Breech-Loadin g Fire-Arms and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and correct description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, similar letters in all the figures denoting the same parts.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a View taken from the right side of the piece, the stock and most of the barrel being removed, as in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is the left side of the piece with the plate removed to show the lock. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the piece lengthwise. Fig. 4 is a top view. Fl 5 is aerosssection taken just at the rear end of the bore of the piece. Fig. 6 shows the base or rear end of the cartridge.

To construct my improved fire-arm, make a breechpieee, A, of metal, to which the barrel T is secured at f, and having a mortise, M, through from the top to the under side, a little back of the end of the barrel, the bore of which extends through into the mortise. A sliding bolt, L, is made to fit and slide in this mortise, being connected, by the bar It, to the lever D, which is pivoted to the breechpiece just forward of the mortise, and extends back under the trigger-guard O to the catch a on thesmall trigger G, which holds the lever up in place.

In the front side of the mortise M, just at the end of the bore of the piece, a plate, J, is placed, being hinged at its lower end at m, so as to shut up fiat against the end of the bore. A groove, V, is made in the metal in front of this plate, just under the end of the hammer, extending from the outside down to the bore of the piece, and is placed to one side of the center of the bore,'so as-to be out of the line of sight in taking aim.

The main body, sides, top, and bottom of the breech-piece A are solid, or, in other words, made of one piece of metal, having an opening, a, (see Fig. 2,) cut through the left side, so that the tumbler N of the lock can be put in, the pivot of which extends through'the other side of the breech-piece far enough to receive the hammer B, the other end of the pivot being held in a recess in the plate a, which is kept in place by the two screws at c e. The mainspring S is fastened to the under side of the arm E, extending out back from the top of the breech-piece, and passes up through an opening in the rear of the breech-piece to the tumbler N, to which it is connected by the stirrup o. The trigger is placed in a recess in the bottom of the breech-piece, being pivoted at e, and having-on its front'side a spring, 19, which rests upon the top ofthe trigger-guard. This plan of making the breech-piece and arranging the lock makes that part of the piece very simple and strong, suitable for a military gun, because it is easily kept in order and will bear rough usage without being disabled. A small arm, H, is attached to the right side of the piece in front of the hammer by a screw, so as to swing backward and forward, and extends up over the top far enough to reach to the groove V, and has a knob at the upper end to move it by. There is a small spring, 0, held by a screw in front of the arm, and which extends around up back of it, so as to press it forward to keep it out of the way of the hammer B. The cartridge is made a base or rear end, X, of metal or other suitable material, (see Fig. 6,) which has a hollow wire, Y, projecting from one side in a tangent to the circle of the base, so as to lie in the groove V when the cartridge is in the gun. The percussion-cap is put on the end of this wire, and the groove V is made of the proper size to just receive-the cap, the lower part of which is in the groove, which entirely prevents any pieces from flying off when the cap is exploded by the hammer. The fire of cap is also confined and obliged to force its way down through the hollow wire, thereby greatly increasing the certainty of firing the cartridge, and also in some degree increasing the force of the charge. The body of the cartridge may be made of dried animal intestine or other suitable material, and is fastened on the base X. There is a recess, K, in the top of the breechpiece,just back of the mortise M, to facilitate the operation of loading the gun, and a sliding cover, W, is attached to the top to cover this recess when not in use.

The operation is as follows, (supposing the back the arm H, (the hammer B having been previously placed at half-cock,) which,

coming in contact with the pin of the cartridge in the groove V, or the cap which is on the pin, throws it out back with the exploded cartridge, at the same time opening the plate J, when another cartridge may be inserted through the recess K, when the plate J being closed and the bolt L pushed up to place by the lever D, the end of which catching on the small trigger G is held in place, when a percussion-cap being placed on the Wire Y in V, the gun is ready to be discharged. The base X of the cartridge may be preserved to use again, as it is not injured by the explosion of the charge. The percussion-caps may be put onto the cartridges at any timeprevious to loading or after the cartridge is placed in the gun. The stock of the gun is made of wood, and attached to it by the arms E F, which are let into the wood flush with its surface. The barrel may be made in any of the usual forms.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my improved breech-loading firearm, what 1 claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The use and employment of a cartridge having its base formed substantially as de scribed, in combination with the groove V and plate'J, when said plate forms a part or one side of the groove or hole V, being constructed and operating substantially as herein set forth.

BENEDIKT KING.

Witnesses:

PHINS. D. WEssoN, BENJAMIN ARNOLD. 

